1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for merging differently focused images.
2. Description of Related Art
A charged coupled device (hereinafter, “the CCD”) is an electrical device that is used to capture images of objects, or transfer electrical charges. It receives light reflected by an object as an optical input and takes the optical input and converts it into an electrical signal to output. The electrical signal is then processed by another equipment and/or software to either produce an image or to provide valuable information.
CCDs are used in a variety of different imaging devices, such as imagers, CCD cameras or scanners. The CCD is only a light-sensitive integrated circuit that stores and displays the data for an image in such a way that each pixel (picture element) in the image is converted into an electrical charge the intensity of which is related to a color in the color spectrum. So, an optical lens is required to properly focus the incident radiation from the object onto an array during a process of capturing the images of the objects.
A manual-focusing measuring machine generally includes a manual focusing apparatus for adjusting the optical lens to focus on the object, so as to obtain clear the images of the object for measurement. Compared to an auto-focusing measuring machine, the manual-focusing measuring machine has its advantages of lower-cost and simpler structure. However, the manual-focusing measuring machines can only capture differently focused images when the manual-focusing measuring machine focuses the object with multiple layers that heights of each parts of the object are different from the Z-axis or each layer of the object is not arranged in the same level. As a result, each of the images has part in focus.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for merging images of different focuses of an object with segment difference so as to merge the images of different focuses into an image in focus.